Jenn Scarinza met her husband John in 2003 through a shared love of maple sugaring. They had both tapped trees for most of their lives, and through that they happened to meet. On a Sunday in late March, John walked Fuller’s Sugarhouse in Lancaster where Jenn was helping serve sugar on snow.  

“This super handsome guy walked in right out of the woods, and I walked over and introduced myself. The more time we spent together, the more I liked him and was completely smitten. Fortunately, he liked me too. Sugaring is still something that was super important to our relationship and we love to share it with family and friends,” she said.

Jenn and John were married and built a life together. The Scarinzas built a sugar house of their own with space for people to visit. In 2021, the couple had a baby boy on the way. That was when they received some heartbreaking news. 

“In February, we got a diagnosis, and I was six months pregnant. Here I am pregnant, just thoroughly thrilled to finally reach this dream of becoming a mama with this man that I adore, then to find out he has cancer. They also told us at the time, you could potentially have 18 years, and I burst into tears because that sounded like such a short time,” Jenn remembered.

John had an especially aggressive cancer and had much less time than doctors thought. John received blood transfusions and was determined to fight the cancer as long as he could to spend more time with his family. 

“The myeloma works by attacking the cells that make blood cells in your bone marrow, so the blood transfusions were critical. For two years that he was in treatments, it was a sustaining level,” Jenn explained. 

John lost his battle with cancer on April 22, 2023. He was 63 years old. 

"We thought we had a lot more time. We did not realize that this cancer was going to be so aggressive. I am just so blessed and so lucky that the little boy was in process already and he is really his daddy's gift to me every single day,” she said.  

As a veteran New Hampshire State Trooper, John was well known in the community. He was a community leader, serving on committees and volunteering hundreds of hours to the town of Randolph and the surrounding area. The retired police lieutenant was especially proud of his involvement with the creation and management of the 13,000-acre Randolph Community Forest. 

Jenn says John was a loving, attentive and thoughtful husband, and father. Despite being so sick during his last two years of life, John thoroughly reveled in being a new dad.  He was so proud of his son, Ethan, and loved to tell people how much fun he was having watching him grow and learn. 

“He was so proud to be the father that he was, and he was proud of his involvement here in the town. The blood allowed him to keep doing those things on his own terms right up until he could not do it anymore,” says Jenn. 

This year, the Scarinza family and the New Hampshire State Police teamed up with the American Red Cross to hold a blood drive in John’s memory. The plan is for it to become an annual tradition every April – honoring John's legacy while recognizing the generosity of donors who help strengthen the blood supply for other patients in need.  

“We are so appreciative of all the donors that helped extend John’s time with us, and this drive is a testament to them as well. John wanted this message to be heard- that giving blood extends and saves lives and you can be part of that,” Jenn said.  

Donors truly gave John the gift of time –  time to spend with his young son, making as many memories as possible with Ethan while he could.  

“I am so lucky to have him and to have a little piece of John. It is like such a cliche, but it is true for us. John was an amazing daddy,” Jenn said. 

The Red Cross depends on thousands of volunteer blood donors to collect about 12,000 blood donations every single day. With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential in transfusion care.

“I think you do not realize how important it is until it affects your life directly. Now I give as often as I can,” says Jenn.

The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Every day, volunteer blood and platelet donors are needed across the country to help save lives. 

Roll up a sleeve to help save lives. Eligible individuals are encouraged to schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-REDCROSS (800-733-2767).